Hello from Montana!

[jitami]

Welcome. Congratulations on your baby girl!

Garters do prefer to bask (as you've seen on the hiking/biking trails), but with just a 10 gallon tank I'd be very careful with any sort of heat lamp or heat emitter. She likely doesn't need anything right now, but in the winter a mat with a thermostat would be the safest. 10 gallon tanks just heat up too quick with heat lamps... this coming from someone who practically cooked her first garter before figuring this out

You could put the heat lamp on a thermostat, too. I've done that in a pinch, but it would still be nearly impossible to get a heat gradient in 10 gallons.

[xStatic]

Thanks for the help everyone! Here are some pics of her!

[RedSidedSPR]

I keep my 10gal lamp at a slight angle, but even without I can keep it at a good gradient. But it is more dificult.

[RedSidedSPR]

She's awesome!

[katach]

She is very pretty! I love that darker orangish spot on her neck!

[guidofatherof5]

Welcome from the great T.radix State of Iowa.
Nice to have you on the forum.

[xStatic]

Thanks everyone, I agree! She is a very pretty little snake.

@RedSidedSPR could you explain how you keep your lamp at an angle? Just make it so all of the heat isn't directly straight down into the tank?

[RedSidedSPR]

It's clipped to a shelf right above the tanks. I it twists by the clip part, so i just tilt it into the corner a little. it also has a dimming feature, so i don't have to put it one full blast. I forgot about that, but that might be part of it.

[xStatic]

Okay thanks! I also have a clip on lamp with a dimmer. I'll try using it with some normal bulbs and see how the temps are

[RedSidedSPR]

Well then